


Untitled

by MintQueenJo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Reunions, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2020, minimal smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25624270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintQueenJo/pseuds/MintQueenJo
Summary: She knew something was wrong when the doors leading to the gardens outside opened. She knew something was wrong when, looking up from a turtle duck she was feeding, Azula marched through the doorway.Katara knew when with a grave face, and eyes leaking tears, a familiar form stepped into the gardens. Iroh, who wouldn’t leave his tea shop in Ba Sing Se for just anything unless it had to do with his nephew. The uncle who had just left from his last visit.Zutara Week day 1: Reunion
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 91





	Untitled

**Author's Note:**

> I'm saying this now, my first fic for Zutara week is shit. I hate it and I struggled to get it finished because it just wouldn't work for me. So maybe at some time I'll write the back up idea I had. I also left the title untitled because well nothing griping came to mind.
> 
> Maybe I'll catch up... maybe I won't
> 
> Also Azula isn't as bad and I could've gone more into detail but like I said I already hated this story...

She knew something was wrong when the doors leading to the gardens outside opened. She knew something was wrong when, looking up from a turtle duck she was feeding, Azula marched through the doorway. Her sister in law’s face was stony, cold, an expression she had seen only once when — before Aang had defeated Ozai he had shot lightning at his only daughter. It was the stony look she wore when he begged for her to help him defeat the Avatar once and for all. The look when she finally turned her back on him, to cast a thoughtful glance at the older brother who had stepped in front of lightning, not just once in his life for the waterbending girl he adored, but also her — his only sister, who was nothing but a menace to him.

“Katara,” her hands rested on the Fire Lady’s shoulders once close enough, taking in the way the waterbender’s top knot was decorated with her own crown. The only Fire Nation regalia the young woman had adopted after marrying the new Fire Lord.

Katara knew when with a grave face, and eyes leaking tears, a familiar form stepped into the gardens. Iroh, who wouldn’t leave his tea shop in Ba Sing Se for just anything unless it had to do with his nephew. The uncle who had just left from his last visit.

Azula held her tighter, voice muffled — no not muffled she was screaming, or someone was, and that made it hard to hear. A broken sound that sounded like many dying animals trapped in the web of life and death. Katara’s fingers dug into the fabric on Azula’s biceps, if she could get her to stop then Katara could think. The screaming continued broken up by sobbing hiccups that spoke of grief.

“My Lady,” one of the guards tried to come near but with a silent gesture from their princess had them halting. Her gold eyes never left Katara, sharp nails took care to not dig wounds into the flesh of the monarch’s arms.

Iroh’s hand rubbed at his new niece’s back, a humming tune came from his chest but it did no good the wailing got louder.

Could they not see that someone was screaming and the world was spinning and shaking — wait.

Her eyes barely focused until she saw that while Azula’s eyes were rimmed with drops of salt water she was not screaming but instead after barking a few orders looking at her sister in law as if she had lost all her pai sho pieces.

Oh.

Katara with a fog ridden burst of almost clarity she realized that the dying wounded thing was her. It was her heart, her soul, as she took in the sudden loss of the man she loved most in their wretched cruel world.

And that broke her more than anything.

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

_ Dutiful fingers curled and a stifled whimper was released into the silk clothed pillow below, the fabric quickly heating from her breath. Another whimper as the fingers straightened, her own relaxed their hold on the edges of the feather stuffed mattress. Her hips canted backwards toward the touch, his touch. _

_ “Zuko,” she panted, tendrils of hair sticking to her cheeks, her forehead, and her spit slicked lips. “Promise me.” _

_ A throaty chuckle as fingers were removed and the very tip of the man behind her pressed into her warm heat. Warmth from his broad chest soaked into her skin as his hips pressed flush against her backside, a throaty moan was torn from her as he pulled back to slowly ease back in. “I love you,” the words tickled her ear as his breath ghosted out against the shell. _

_ It was a promise of his safe return from his trip. _

_ That night before he left was a long night for them both, while Zuko should have been resting before the start of his month-long trip through the Earth Kingdom, he couldn’t deny this need. Knowing that he’d be without his wife for four weeks made him just as desperate to get his fill of her, of the way that they joined together in their marriage bed. _

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

Once Iroh was able to help Azula get their Fire Lady into her bed, he personally made her tea and the princess crossed her arms behind her back and leaned against the door. Katara never understood why Azula passed up Zuko’s offer to be his general to instead watch over her. Princesses shouldn’t be playing bodyguard but the young woman had merely laughed and patted his smooth cheek.

“Zuko, if I’m out running things, and Uncle is out running things all tea related, and you are called away Katara is going to need someone to trust. Someone who can help her run this shit show of a place while you work to make it better.”

It was a shock, the young waterbender had assumed that the princess hated her. And worse, she knew she tried to almost kill her at fifteen so why now at eighteen as Zuko was starting to rebuild his family’s legacy for the better was she willing to help?

And why Katara? She was only the ambassador to the Water Tribes, yes she was Zuko’s girlfriend but why would she be running things? Zuko’s flushed face was almost a giveaway to the question he was ready — almost — to ask the waterbender.

“Here drink some tea,” Uncle held a cup up to her lips, Katara pressed them together tightly. “Please, you must let us help you, Katara. That is what we are here for, to help you.”

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

_ “If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask Mai, or Azula even. My sister—” _

_ “I’m sure the future general would be too busy for me to bother her—” Katara smiled at her soon to be husband. _

_ “Zuzu,” his younger sister pushed him aside so he shuffled towards the docks. “If my dear future sister has any questions she is more than welcome to bother me, I’ll let my men know. And, Katara, if any of them deny you anything let me know. I’m sure Ty Lee wouldn’t mind putting a few of them in their places.” A pointed nail taps the tip of Zuko’s nose. “Sweet, sweet, Zuzu. There’s nothing to worry about, now go sign some treaty or something you important leaders do.” _

_ With a nod and a swift kiss blue eyes stared as his back descended from view. _

_ It was Katara’s first time alone in the palace without Zuko, something she’d have to get used to once she was Fire Lady. _

_ Normally, Iroh would have gladly helped Zuko butter up the other important signers, but this was something that Zuko needed to learn how to do on his own. And Katara agreed, the other nations would need to interact with the new Fire Lord to figure what type of man he was at nineteen. Even though Aang was in the process of rebuilding the Air Nomads and had fought alongside the new leader of the Fire Nation that was not enough to win over the Northern Water Tribe — and if the Northern Tribe didn’t agree with the Southern Tribe they were at a stalemate in their support. King Kuei was currently being more careful with his trust after first losing Ba Sing Se. _

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

After four days of no news about Fire Lord Zuko, Katara climbed out from under her silk sheets determined to not be useless and wait. She bathed, careful to think over how the day would go. No one expected her in the meeting room from the looks on the faces of Zuko’s many advisors. The room silent as if just a few moments prior she hadn’t interrupted angry raised voices and hands thumping the wooden table. Iroh sat at the head of the table, the spot next to him where Zuko would sit was empty. 

Empty until too much teetering from a few hushed mouths did Katara kneel on the very spot he would sit. Azula rose from her spot and after kneeling briefly to her sister-in-law she took a seat to her right hand. Eyes much like her brother’s ablaze — daring someone to speak.

“Fire Lady Katara,” Iroh smiled, “how nice of—”

“What are you doing?”

The Water Tribe girl lifted her chin, staring down her nose at the greying man who was furiously frowning at her. “Admiral Shoh? Am I correct?” Feeling Azula shift to cross her arms behind her as the room waited. “As I do remember, seeing as I am the wife of Fire Lord Zuko, that makes me Fire Lady. Correct?”

“It does not make you fit to lead us,  _ waterbender. _ ” He hissed and Azula just tilted her head, waiting. “Since your brother is dead, and if your uncle refuses to rule in his place—”

“My time is done, General,” Iroh smiled, a sly stretch of his lips. “He is still a general, correct?”

Dark eyes stared down blue ones that seemed to say for now, everyone knew of Zuko’s plans to demote one of his father’s generals. It wasn’t a secret but the only one with the authority to do that was well gone. Unless Katara could rule in her husband’s place.

“Azula as the next in line you must want the throne?” He was looking for an ally.

“I suppose,” she rolled her neck, “fine as acting regent until my brother gets back, you’re banished. Next?” A sharp sly smile stretched across her face as terror filled his dark eyes, they flicked from her to the woman at the head of the table.

“What do you ask me to do, your majesty?” He bowed his head in Katara’s direction and waited.

The meeting continued with the advisor for finances drawing out a plan to help fund schools on the outer edges of the nation that were teaching orphans displaced by the war. The advisor for foreign affairs filled her in more on her husband’s plan to help the mixed colonies between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom where intercultural families now resided.

After a few hours the meeting was adjourned and Katara, waving off a helping hand from Azula, wandered back to her rooms. Where she wrapped herself in one of Zuko’s robes and took a nap, narrowly missing the window for hot and fresh dinner.

It was a week of meetings and refusing to eat with anyone outside of her rooms that during a meeting the ground shook and with a growl her head turned towards the doors.

That sounded like—

“Appa!”

Azula followed closely as she could but still giving the other woman space, Appa growled again as Mai climbed off his back, giving one farewell kiss to Ty Lee in her Kyoshi Warrior outfit.

“Mai, Ty Lee!” Azula was surprised enough but also not enough to know they were coming. “I only thought you were coming Mai.”

“Oh I am, Ty Lee is off with Aang to help find Zuko.” Mai bows to Katara before hugging her, “we’ll find him. Sokka and Toph are going through Ba Sing Se and Omashu. The other Kyoshi Warriors are taking the islands. Aang has the islands north of here, maybe some that are still loyal to the Ozai have him.”

The only thing the blue eyed young woman could do was nod, nod and throw a smile at her friends.

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

_ It was their first time together since he was crowned Fire Lord, her footsteps were soft in the empty halls that led to his rooms. Her hands were shaking around the silk dressing robe she had found in the market just earlier that day. The red of it was decorated along the sleeves with blue and white beading and stitchwork so it looked as if the sea was decorating her wrists. _

_ She passed the doors to the gardens and paused, his outline was dark against the moonlit surroundings. He was sitting next to the pond, eyes closed. _

_ “Zuko?” She whispered, his good eye barely opening to look at her as she dropped into his lap, thighs straddling his. _

_ “You leave tomorrow.” Was all that he whispered as she lifted her robes. _

_ “Tell me to stay.” She whispered back as they met intimately. Her hands cupped his jaw as their lips met and their hips rolled, “please, Zuko. Tell me to stay. I can’t leave again— you, I can’t leave you again.” _

_ When he switched their positions so she was pressed firmly against the grass next to the turtle duck pond was when he first told her. His lips left hers to push out the words, better than ‘Please stay with me, Katara’ came, “I love you. I love you so much.” _

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

Mai brought it up first, it had been almost two months since Zuko’s disappearance and the advisors were antsy. Secret meetings that didn’t go unnoticed about how they needed to remove the waterbender from the Fire Nation throne. She noticed it when Katara’s appetite had returned full force, at the roundness she was acquiring.

“You think what?” Azula frowned into her cup of tea, her skills at making it nowhere near as masterful as her uncle’s let alone Zuko.

“I’m just saying that, it’s possible.” Mai leaned back eyes dancing over Katara where she stared into her own cup, hand touching the hidden bump.

“I—” she sniffled and nodded. “I’ve known for weeks now. I just didn’t want to say anything. I was going to tell Zuko when he came back. I had to get a second opinion because I didn’t want to be too hopeful.”

“We will double security,” Azula nodded, “my brother’s wife and child deserve all the protection, and I don’t doubt General Shoh will try to harm you.”

Mai, quiet as always moved behind her and pressed her thumbs into a spot behind the other woman’s ears to help her relieve headache pain.

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

_ They kneeled before one of the Fire Sages, the previous Fire Lord was supposed to lead the marriage proceedings but since Ozai was to remain imprisoned Iroh stood in his place, and let the sages lead. Katara smiled, her wedding robes were from the Fire Nation while he lovingly wore robes from the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko had asked if he could, he wanted to make a statement to his advisors that their home was every bit as much as home to his Fire Lady as her home was to him. That their nations were forever joined between the two. _

_ He had whispered later before sleep that a child would make their union harder to undo, he had smiled. “Katara, do you want children with me?” _

_ “Maybe one day, one day once this nation is fixed and all four lands can agree to live peacefully we can raise a family.” She kissed the star burst scar over his chest, once then twice before deciding that she wasn’t quite ready for bed. _

☙ ⚜︎ ❦ ⚜︎ ❧

It was four moons from Zuko’s disappearance and Katara was sitting looking at the turtle ducks listening to the wind rustle the leaves when another sound, something more hopeful sounded. Appa growling.

Hand touching the now visible swell of her midriff as she stood, Mai leaving her side as the bison floated down to the ground. Aang waved, his beard growing in from when Katara last saw him. Ty Lee hopped down hands in the air, but Katara didn’t see them. Didn’t see that she was talking, not as Aang helped the red cloaked form down. His hair was much longer, much leaner than what she remembered him as. His smile slid from his face as his eyes widened, a hand protectively rubbed her stomach.

It was the sting of her eyes and the quiver to her chin that had him striding towards her as Ty Lee headed into the palace. Aang led Appa to the stable to feed him.

“Katara,” his voice broke her fully. A sound she thought she’d never hear again.

“Zuko,” she whispered as his harms pulled her close. A firm hand resting over hers on her growing belly.

“I’m home, I’m home.” Soft lips pressed to her forehead.


End file.
